Spring is sprouting with the tenderest produce of the year: Pea shoots, garlic shoots, and more

This is the season of shoots, sprouts, and all manner of greens and lettuces. Small clumps of asparagus are just poking up through the soil. Rhubarb leaves and tender stalks have also emerged. Many gardens and nearby farms have an abundance of hearty greens to herald spring. My true harbinger of spring? Peas. Since I've just planted peas outside, I won't be eating them from the garden until May. But what I am eating (and have been for weeks now) are pea shoots. These delicate-looking tendrils of young pea plants shout spring. Tender enough to eat raw and sturdy enough to add to a stir-fry, pea shoots are available in the city at various markets, especially Asian grocery stores. But they are also simple to grow at home on a windowsill or in a small planter outside.